# CVE-2020-36503: Connections Business Directory < 9.7 - Admin+ CSV Injection

> An attacker with admin privileges can inject malicious formulas into CSV exports, potentially leading to code execution when the file is opened.

- **Severity:** High 8.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cv8q-93v6-rxm5

## What is CVE-2020-36503?

CVE-2020-36503 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown Connections Business Directory, published on 1 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The Connections Business Directory WordPress plugin before 9.7 does not validate or sanitise some connections' fields, which could lead to a CSV injection issue

Weakness: CWE-1236 (Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36503?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Connections-Pro Connections Business Directory.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-36503?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36503 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36503 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36503 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Connections Business Directory

- [CVE-2023-29437](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29437/): WordPress Connections Business Directory Plugin <= 10.4.36 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-24794](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24794/): Connections Business Directory < 10.4.3 - Admin+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36503 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36503 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown Connections Business Directory, published on 1 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36503 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown Connections Business Directory. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36503/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36503/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36503
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36503
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36503

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36503/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.